U-Idaho Patent Applications

Pedestrian call systems with bidirectional communication between pedestrian call stations and traffic controllers arranged so as to detect system errors. This will provide safer intersections for pedestrians, particularly for the seeing impaired.

OTT Case 09-013 | Microbe or Group of Microbes Useful in the Extraction of Precious Metals

Inventors: Franklin Bailey

A discovered life form that is most likely a symbiotic relationship between a fungus and one or more bacteria. This life form thrives at pH 1.5 – 9.0 and has the capability of separating precious metals (including the rare earth elements) from the ore that contains them. The organism provides an alternative method of metallurgical extraction from ores and has been proven to locate the presence of precious metals located in organic materials (leaves, seeds, calyces, saliva, fungi, algae, cells, blood, body fluids, etc.).

OTT Case 09-016 | Programmable Ramp Generator for SSLAR ADC

Inventors: Suat U. Ay

An analog-to-digital (ADC) converter is disclosed that uses aspects of a single-slope ramp ADC, but with jump steps in the ramp voltage to increase speed. A programmable ramp generator can be used to dynamically modify a voltage level associated with the jump step. By programming a voltage level of the jump, a user can dynamically modify the speed of the ADC during operation. Potential applications include low power image sensors and high-speed surveillance cameras.

OTT Case 09-020 | Bulk Synthesis of Graphene

Inventors: Jeremy D. Foutch, I. Francis Cheng

A method to fabricate multi-layer graphene from low temperature heating of oil shale. Graphene is comprised of one-atom-thick planar sheets of carbon atoms densely packed in a honeycomb crystal lattice. Because electricity readily flows through graphene without losing much energy it is thought that this compound may eventually replace silicon in semiconductor designs.

A method for stabilizing soil by shifting the indigenous population of bacteria in favor of urea positive bacteria that then promote the precipitation of calcium carbonate. The calcium carbonate forms calcite bridged between soil particles , which will reduce the potential liquefaction of soils during earthquakes.

This invention concerns the synthesis and use of oligonucleotides modified with one or more conformationally restricted nucleotides, such as C5- or C8-functionalized Locked Nucleic Acid (LNA) and/or C5- or C8-functionalized a-L-LNA building blocks, for nucleic-acid-based therapeutics, diagnostics and material science applications that target nucleic acids.

OTT Case 09-028 | Chemically Modified Potato Products

Inventors: Kerry Huber, Wei C. Yu, Arkkrapan Anantachote

Methods are described by which potato products may be chemically modified to yield novel potato-based food products/ingredients. Under the described processing conditions, potato material is treated with chemical modifying agents approved to modify starch for use in food. The modified potato ingredients/products also exhibit benefits similar to chemically modified starches. Additionally, the methods may also prove useful for enhancement of traditional mashed potato and potato flake, flour and/or granule processing.

A CMOS Active Pixel Sensor (APS) was developed that is capable of conducting both imaging and energy harvesting from impinging light. This technology has utility for use in remote low power image sensors.

A method to fabricate mutli-layer graphene from low temperature heating of carbon-containing compounds such as asphalt, bitumen and kerogen as precursors. The multi-layer graphene has been deposited on a variety of surfaces, including copper, iron, glass, silicon and aluminum. Because electricity readily flows through graphene without losing much energy it is thought that this compound may eventually replace silicon in semiconductor designs.

OTT Case 09-032 | Bulk Synthesis of Multilayered Graphene From the Pyrolysis of Alkanes and Sulfur

Inventors: I. Francis Cheng, David McIlroy

A method for producing multi-layer graphene from a mixture of elemental sulfur and organics heavy in alkanes. The sulfur combines with the organics under low-temperature heating to form a tar-like graphene precursor that then further reacts under heating conditions to form the multi-layer graphene. Because electricity readily flows through graphene without losing much energy it is thought that this compound may eventually replace silicon in semiconductor designs.